Learning is Change

Feeling safe at school is a right. For our kids, and for our adults. We should create that safety in all of our spaces, online and offline. And we will…

It’s Time to Take Back Personalized Learning – EdSurge News

This is the exact sentiment we’ve been trying to start with the hashtag #ReclaimPL. Personalized Learning is about students owning their learning, not software making instructional decisions!

Six Examples of What Personalized Learning Looks Like

If you are looking for real-world examples of personalized learning, here are some great ones!

We CAN do a lot of things to support our students. We SHOULD do everything we can to keep our kids safe. But, what WILL we do to empower them, to build their future alongside them?

How would you finish this statement?

We WILL…

MIA in School: Instilling a Sense of Purpose in Students – EdSurge News

I really like this statement: ‘Purpose is not something we can give students, but it is something we can help them find.’

Digital Portfolios + Micro-credentials = Massive Impact for Students & Teachers

It is so valuable to see both student and adult learning mirror one another in our schools. We are all learners, and using the same tools and ways of learning helps to emphasize that.

Create your own ‘My School App’ in Google Slides for mobile devices #edtech

A really cool example of just how easy the tools for creation, collaboration, and communication are within our classrooms and schools.

We should remember our educational heroes, those that came before us and taught us how to learn. Those that helped us turn light bulbs on every day, and those that made us work to create our best selves. We should remember them and thank them.

Experiment with updates to Science Journal, now on iOS

New app from Google turns a phone or tablet into a science notebook!

The Case Against Automated Student Data Dashboards – EdSurge News

In this interesting reflection on the use of data in classrooms, one educator sees the value in students, rather than teachers and principals, owning the data and using it for learning.

Padlet has been a highly useful tool in many classrooms for years, but these new features make it even easier to include in group Work and projects. What ideas will you “vote on”?

At this point, collaboration is not optional, not for students and certainly not for educators. But seeking it is not always easy, and it requires us to be humble learners much of the time. I’m okay with that.

Collaboration is not created by the arrangement of desks.

It is always good to remember that flexible seating is not a panacea. Rather, student collaboration is something to build toward by creating the culture of the classroom.

Google Calendar on the web gets a fresh new look

I’m so excited for this update! It will have one of my favorite features from Outlook, side-by-side calendars. It will also look and feel more modern and responsive. Look for it soon.

Designing Group Projects So That Everyone Participates

Group Work is an essential component of most classrooms, but it requires design. Here are some resources and reflection on doing just that.

Worry is sometimes helpful. It can make sure we don’t leave any one or anything behind. But, when we worry for others, we blanket them in something they can’t use. They can use action or empathy. But, worry is a blanket that is too small and thin.

Personalized learning: The importance of teachers in a technology-driven world

Teachers are an absolutely essential component of any personalized learning classroom. Research, like the studies linked to in this article, show this too.

How to ACTUALLY Do Project Based Learning

Here are some great interviews with project-based learning practitioners in podcast form. Fortunately, the transcript makes for some great reading too.

10 Characteristics of Learner Centered Experiences

Sometimes we need a few definitions to help us sort through what we mean by learner-centered or agency. In our quest for better language and ways of framing this shift in our classrooms, this article presents a compelling picture.

Sometimes we have to jump in, with both feet. We need to feel the ground meet us as we land. We need to run fast while looking all around us, making sure we are both heading in the right direction and running with others alongside.

We Show Up

A little bit of inspiration for why Educators show up every day and amazing thing for and with kids.

A Realistic View for Self-Directed Learning

This article makes a compelling case for Lerner agency, and it provides a path to get there. (Also, if you are a sucker for visual representations of difficult teaching ideas, there are some great ones in here too!)

Google’s new browser experiment lets you learn about basic AI

If you have ever wondered what folks were talking about when they said “Machine Learning”, here is a Google experiment you can do yourself to learn more. Both fun and highly informative!

When we look out and see our community gathered: students, parents, teachers, and leaders; I hope we see folks coming together. A sea filled with diverse and essential life, unwilling to be denied. Because we are not a crowd, we are a community.

Aurora Public Schools is making a comeback of sorts – and this pilot school is leading the charge

Not sure I would call it a comeback, but I do think Personalized Learning cohort member, William Smith HS, has been doing innovative and awesome things for and with kids for years.

Micro-credentials for Teachers: What Three Early Adopters Have Learned So Far

Adult Digital Badges, or Micro-credentials, are receiving more and more attention and resources. As we look to implement in APS, it is always good to learn from those who have come before.

We are not the only ones engaged in teaching and learning. Far from it. But, knowing when we should reach out to others and when should we reach to each other for resources/advice is difficult. I tend to use this: Reach out often. Reach in daily.

Three Schools On Three Paths to Personalized Learning Success

A closer look at three schools who have been engaged in Personalized Learning work for the last few years. Lots to learn from!

Present like a pro: these new updates in Slides are designed to make you look good

An absolutely massive update to Google Slides that allows for the integration of student response tools like Pear Deck and creating linked slides that can change content across multiple decks automatically.

When the days get cold, my kids bring out their blankets from bedrooms. They carry them around for warmth, but they tend to leave them behind whenever they get excited or want to fully engage in an activity. I wonder if I’m carrying around blankets too

Where Does Personalized Learning End and Special Education Begin? – EdSurge News

A deep reflection from an educator who sees personalization as one of the core concepts of special education.

Our Untold Stories

Jennie Magiera, a veteran educator, gave in inspiring talk at Google not too long ago. It makes me question, “What stories are we leaving untold in APS?”

Launch Tour Builder Tours in Google Earth with One Click

Now that Google earth is web based, building tours to deepen understanding for places and historical significance is super easy. Students and teachers can create amazing “tours” to explore cultural connections or simply engage more fully with content.